Walk this way to weight loss (Part 1)

February 4, 2017 Ashley 0 Comments

It sounds simple.

If you take 10,000 steps every day, you’ll lose about a pound every week.

(“We’re so skinny ’cause we’ve been walking non-stop since these velour suits were still in style.”)

After all, 10,000 steps is equal to roughly five miles. And, after you plod along for five miles, you exert anywhere from 2,000 to 3,500 calories each week. Not bad, right? Especially since (assuming those steps aren’t being made in the direction of your local Burger King to break even on caloric expenditure) a pound of fat is tantamount to 3,500 calories. So… why’s it so hard to lose a pound of fat a week when we aren’t even gorging out? Well, probably because walking on its own can be a bit beleaguering, can’t it? It isn’t engaging enough for most of us to keep doing it for 10,000 steps, day after day, like some love child of Sisyphus and a desert roaming Moses. It’s too boring to be sustainable. The motivation’s simply not there for exercise if it’s not enjoyable. So… what can you do to liven up getting in your steps?

Great question. In fact, it’s such a great question, that it merits a seven part answer:

1. Dork it up with a walking tour

I know. When I think “walking tour”, I think fanny packs, visors, and foreigners as well. But, in our doing-geeky-things-for-the-ironic-fun-of-it age, why not? Spring is only a couple months away. (Thank glob.) And that means that walking tours will imminently be happening anew. Whether it’s on some sort’ve animal reserve, at a national park, or even just something random happening in the city, you stand to get your steps in while also getting an education.

And what if you try that and get hopelessly bored?

Well, don’t go hang yourself with your scarf (like the chick in the pic above looks ready to do).

Instead, maybe walk with a purpose…

2. Join a march or protest

Hey, there may be some debate as to whether marches or protests effect any actual change. But you know what can’t be disputed? The fact that you’ll put in some pedometer work for sure when you spend the better bit’ve the day charging down the road. Plus, once you’re all hopped up on adrenaline, and in the company of like-minded folk with whom you can bond over loathing “the man”, that time’ll fly by.

3. Listen to an audiobook

Or maybe political activism’s not your activity proclivity. You’d rather just be entertained. In that case, audiobooks have proven to be an excellent means to achieve exactly that. How? Well, people mind hack themselves by reserving listening to audiobooks for a walk time (or any other kind of workout for that matter). And, when they do, they claim that they tend not only to do the work out for longer, but get motivated to even do it at all, as well. So pick an intriguing audible novel, save it for your aerobic hour or half-hour sweat sesh, and look forward to your footsteps every day.

(“Nothing more stimulating than the blissful literary eloquence of 50 Shades in the sunshine!”)

(Click here for three more ways to level up your stepping game…)